Disclaimers: Not mine. I wish they were, but sadly, they belong to someone else with a lot more money than I.
Pairings: 3x2 (eventually), 6x1 (also eventually)
Warnings: There be men in them there hills, doing things they shouldn’t be. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Yaoi, with some lemon in the later parts. Completely OOC, so don’t be surprised. AU
AN: This is uncomplicated and just mostly sap. Hope you like it. It’s not one of my faves, but it made me smile in places, so I guess that stands for something. As always, special thanks goes to my wondrous and talented (not to mention patient) beta, TanithNight. Let me know what you think!!
Tune Up
As Heero pulled the car to a stop in front of the house, Trowa frowned at the car sitting in his driveway, where it had been left this morning after it hadn’t started. “Thanks for the ride, Heero.”
“Your house is on my way to work and we usually work the same hours,” the other man shook his head. “It’s no problem.”
Getting out of the car, Trowa gave his own vehicle a disgusted kick on the back bumper, which rattled threateningly in return. “What am I going to do? I barely make enough to pay the bills and now I have to get this fixed.”
Heero had gotten out of the car without being invited; the two had been friends long enough not to need a formal invitation. “Your next door neighbor is a mechanic. Perhaps you could do some yard work or something in exchange for repairs.”
Eyeing his best friend in the dimming light, Trowa asked, “How do you know that?”
Lifting a hand, Heero pointed to the small sign beside the driveway on the other side of Trowa’s house. Maxwell’s Auto Repair was open Monday thru Friday, 9 am to 6 pm and on Saturday from nine until twelve. In the weeks since Trowa had moved into the house, he hadn’t noticed the sign. “I didn’t even see that,” he admitted.
Giving a small shrug, Heero stuck his hands in his pockets and followed Trowa into the house. “I might not have paid any attention, but I’ve heard the name mentioned at the firm.”
“Mentioned in a good way?” Trowa flipped on the lights and allowed himself a brief instant to enjoy the fact that the house was his…and the banks…and he didn’t have to live with anyone unless he chose. After years of living with roommates, he was doubtful he would want to live with anyone for quite a while.
At home in his friend’s house, Heero made his way to the kitchen and found two beers. “Most of the women take their cars there to be worked on. They say he’s very good.”
Rolling his eyes at Heero, Trowa assumed his neighbor was a ladies’ man. “Are you sure they were talking about their cars or did he give the women a tune-up?”
“One said her engine was running better than ever,” remarked the other man, clearly not understanding the innuendo.
“Heero, that doesn’t mean…never mind. I’ll see if I can talk to him tomorrow,” Trowa chose not to explain, wondering how Heero had managed to reach the age of twenty-five with no sexual knowledge, or the comprehension of undercurrents that came with such a thing. “Are you staying for dinner?”
With clear regret in his blue eyes, Heero shook his head, “Odin has arranged for me to have dinner with Relena’s family tonight. I don’t understand why he is so intent on her. She makes my skin crawl.”
“You need to tell him that before you find yourself married to her,” Trowa suggested with a smirk. “She’s as determined as Odin to get you down the aisle.”
Looking horrified at the idea, Heero left minutes later. Curious about his neighbor, Trowa turned on his computer and did a search on Maxwell’s Auto Repair, surprised at the rave reviews from both men and women. Gazing out the window to the house next door, where nearly every light was blazing through the windows, he decided he would speak to the mechanic the next day. He had no other option.
At precisely nine o’clock the next morning, Trowa made his way across his front yard and into the next. Seeing no one, he wondered if the mechanic had decided not to work this Saturday, after all. He was already turning around to go home when he heard the unmistakable sound of an air wrench behind the house. Following the noise, he realized the property was much larger than he had first assumed; his own house could fit into one corner of the land. At the back of the house he discovered a garage with three large doors that already had several cars waiting with customers sitting inside them.
As he watched, a tall man with unbelievably long white-blonde hair directed cars into specified stalls then led the customers into a glassed-in reception area to wait. Since he had never been good in social situations, Trowa decided to return later, when the mechanic wasn’t so busy. Turning around, he stopped when a low voice called out to him. “Are you here to pick someone up?”
Facing the garage again, Trowa sighed as he saw the blonde coming toward him with long, even strides, altering his opinion that all mechanics were grungy and greasy as he noted the man was undeniably attractive. “No, I’m not,” he replied as the other man neared.
“This must be my lucky day, then.” When he smiled, white teeth shone under eyes as blue as a clear summer sky. “Maybe I can pick you up?”
Stunned at the implication, Trowa was searching for a response when another voice came from the garage, the timbre low and obviously irritated, “Zechs, where in the nine hells are you?”
“In the yard,” was the blonde’s careless response.
“Sex?” Trowa asked, baffled.
“Not right now. Ask me again after business hours,” the blonde gave him a wink.
“Bloody hell, Zechs, quit flirting and get in here. The customers don’t need you ogling them.”
Trowa searched for where the other voice was coming from, but could see no one. Giving up, he asked the man staring at him like he was a piece of prime rib, “Your name is Sex?”
“Zechs, with a Z. It’s a common mistake, obviously. I think it comes from people wanting me.”
“Damn it, Zechs!”
“He’s not a customer,” Zechs called back in a sing-song voice, clearly unconcerned with the mounting frustration of the third man’s voice.
“Then get your ass in here and help me fix these cars for actual customers.”
Curious to discover who the voice belonged to Trowa followed the blonde into the garage uninvited, absently admiring the way the tight black jeans clung to Zechs’ backside. The blonde walked into the bay casually, while Trowa could feel his nerves begin to fray. He had never done well with meeting new people, although Zechs had been cheerful and flirtatious, helping to put him at ease and feel less anxious.
He didn’t think his next encounter was going to go as well. From the low pitch of the voice, Trowa envisioned a large, beefy man with stubby hands, topped with thick fingers. His belly would be bulging over the waist of his pants and a plug of tobacco would be stuck in the corner of his mouth. Trowa could already see the grizzly face and callous eyes when Zechs leaned into one of the cars with an open hood. “What are you bellowing about? Can’t you see I was having a nice conversation with an extremely attractive man?”
There was a sigh from underneath the car, making Trowa blink. “Zechs, I’d like to be done early today. I can’t do that if you won’t help. We only have four appointments, so if you help, I’ll let you pick dinner tonight, okay?”
“You simply must cook that grilled chicken,” Zechs grinned at Trowa, giving him a wink. “But first you should say hello to the lovely morsel I found on our lawn.”
“If you would put as much effort into work as you do flirting, you could rule the world,” was the rueful reply. “I don’t have time to talk right now. If he needs work done on his car, tell him to come back Monday.”
“Tell him yourself. He’s standing about three feet to your left.”
“Bloody hell! You’re not supposed to bring strangers into the garage, Zechs!”
Trowa discovered a smile on his face at the way the blonde grinned impishly. Hoping to save his new acquaintance, he spoke for the first time since coming inside. “I’m not a stranger, not really; I’m your neighbor, I moved in a few weeks ago.”
“Into the house next door? Isn’t this the – Ouch!” Zechs pulled his hand away from the engine, shaking it as if he had been stung by a bee. “That wasn’t nice,” he muttered into the car engine before giving Trowa his attention. “I’m Zechs, as you already know. The heathen hiding under the car is Duo.”
“I’m not a heathen; I’m a mechanic that happens to be in the middle of an oil change.”
“I’m Trowa,” he introduced himself, realizing the man under the car at least had a sense of humor.
“Well, Trowa,” Zechs leaned a hip on the car, blue eyes glittering as he purred, “it’s a pleasure to meet you. Is there something I can do for you or to you? I’d be willing to do almost anything.”
Choosing to ignore the blatant invitation, Trowa cleared his throat nervously, “Actually, I’ve been having some car problems.”
“We can take a look at it this afternoon, can’t we, Duo?”
“That’s fine, I guess. It might be…damn, she’s early,” Duo commented as another car pulled up outside the doors. “Zechs, can you deal with her?”
“Scared of a small woman?” the blonde teased.
“Wouldn’t you be?”
Intrigued, Trowa watched as a petite black-haired woman practically bounced from the car. Zechs was smiling as he met the woman, shaking his head firmly when she pointed to the garage. When she began to walk past him, he took her arm and steered her to the waiting area.
“Tell me she’s gone and you’ll be my hero.”
Jumping slightly at the sudden proclamation, Trowa told the other man, “Zechs took her inside.”
“Good. Maybe I can get her car done without having to talk to her. You said you had some car trouble?”
“Yes, but…I can’t afford to get it fixed.”
“Bought the house, right? Shit always happens when you’re the least prepared for it.”
Shamed at even having to ask, Trowa suggested, “I could do yard work or something to pay for the repairs.”
“You know anything about cars?”
“They have four wheels and go vroom.”
There was a short silence after an amused snort. “Can you tell tools apart?”
Confused by the question, Trowa replied with a frown. “I know the basics.”
“Got anything to do for the next hour?”
“I’m free all day.”
“I’ll make you a deal. You help me in here for an hour or so and I’ll fix your car.”
Stunned by the generous offer, Trowa hesitated for a moment. “There’s no way an hour of work will pay for repairs.”
Again he heard a deep sigh, “Listen, I want to finish early and Zechs won’t be able to help because Hilde’s here, a full hour before her appointment. Help me out for a little while and I’ll fix your car as a housewarming gift.”
Unable to turn down such a generous offer, Trowa nodded and then realized the other man couldn’t see him. “That sounds good, if I can help out from time to time in some way. It would make me feel better.”
“Let’s see how you do first. I need an oil wrench. It’s a loop with a handle on it, on the tray on the other side of the car.”
Following directions, Trowa located the tool, “Found it.”
“Great. Hand it down here, would you?”
The hand that suddenly appeared from underneath the car was a surprise. Instead of being stubby and thick, it was slender with long, delicate-looking fingers that grasped the tool competently when he held it down. “Can you grab the oil filter? It’s an orange, round thing.”
Crouching down, Trowa held it under the car. “This?”
“That’s it.” There was a rattling and silence for a few minutes, then a hiss, “Damnit.”
“Are you okay?”
“Busted my knuckles. Perk of the job. Look out.”
Rising quickly, Trowa backed away from the car, barely avoiding the bucket of used oil that slid out from under it. He was staring when boots appeared, followed by long legs and a lean body draped in overalls. When a heart-shaped face appeared, Trowa sucked in a deep breath that promptly left his lungs in a rush when eyes that were an odd shade of cobalt blinked up at him, an impish grin directed at him. “Hi! I’m Duo, in the greasy flesh. I’d offer to shake hands, but I’m a mess.”
“Um, Trowa.”
The man sat up on the rolling cart and grinned, “Yeah, from next door. I got that already.” Standing gracefully, Duo went to the cart with the tools, tossing the oil wrench on it. Grabbing several quarts of oil, he began to put them into the car, stretching over the side of the vehicle to reach and letting Trowa see how lean the smaller man was. “Do me a favor and go tell Zechs the Toyota is ready to go? He’ll know what to do.”
Nodding dumbly, Trowa backed away until he ran into the garage wall. Luckily, Duo’s head was back in the engine so he didn’t see. Ordering himself to get a grip, Trowa exited the building and moved to the waiting area, where Zechs was regaling three women with a story. The woman with the black hair didn’t seem interested in the tale, her eyes on the glass and following the man working in the garage.
All eyes fell on Trowa as he entered, making him uneasy. Keeping his eyes on the blonde man, Trowa forced himself to speak in a normal tone. “Duo said the Toyota is ready.”
Glancing through the large window, Zechs nodded, “So it is. Valerie darling, that means you’re all done until next time.”
One of the women grinned as she stood and paid her bill. “I’m so glad my husband found this place. Our cars have never run better. The scenery isn’t bad, either,” she added with a wink at the blonde as she put the receipt in her purse.
After she was gone, driving the car away with a satisfied smile, Zechs indicated Trowa should come closer. Once he was behind the counter, Trowa realized the blonde man was paying close attention to the black-haired woman without it being obvious. “Are we going to your house after we’re done?”
Trowa frowned as the raven-haired woman turned to stare at him with narrowed blue eyes. Ignoring her, he nodded, “I’m going to help Duo since you’re busy in here.”
“Very good, perhaps you can have dinner with us. Duo is an excellent cook. I’d love to have you…over.”
He didn’t know what was going on, but Trowa was able to hear the muttered, “Pervert,” from the glaring woman.
Zechs didn’t seem insulted at all as he leaned forward, putting his elbows on the counter and fluttering his lashes. “Hilde, did you have something to say to me?”
“I said you’re a pervert.”
“No dearest, I’m a pro-vert; I’m very good at what I do.” Zechs smiled sweetly while Trowa covered his laugh with a cough, the other two waiting women grinning at the comment.
Sticking her nose in the air and radiating disapproval, Hilde snorted delicately. “I don’t know why you’re even here. Duo doesn’t need people like you around.”
“I live with the man. Duo doesn’t want people like you around.” Rolling his eyes, Zechs shook his head and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Trowa, “I do hope we get to see a lot of each other, Trowa. I have to say my day will be that much brighter, knowing you live so close.”
“You live near here?” the woman demanded, eyes lethal as they pinned him.
“I bought the house next door.” Sensing he was about to be pulled into a long-standing argument, Trowa escaped, “I need to go help Duo.”
“Use the employee door, then. It’s easier than walking around and it’s starting to rain.”
Surprised, Trowa glanced out the window to see the blonde was right. He followed Zechs’ finger to a door almost hidden in the glass wall, wondering at the strange design. With the first bay now empty, he looked around until he saw Duo lowering the large doors, shocked at the way it felt like the air was punched out of his lungs as the smaller man turned to smile at him. Taking a deep breath, he called out, “Sorry it took so long.”
“Don’t be; Zechs takes every opportunity to pester Hilde, usually pulling the closest person into the verbal onslaught as an unwilling participant. You learn to ignore it and avoid her whenever possible.”
As the morning progressed, Trowa found himself enjoying the mechanic’s company. It was satisfying to confirm the smaller man did have a sense of humor, one that bordered on preposterous. He also caught himself staring several times, wondering what Duo looked like without the baggy coveralls and curious why the large cobalt eyes seemed to hide many secrets.
The woman, Valerie, had been right. The scenery was nice at the garage.
Duo was changing the oil in Hilde’s car when he spoke, “Your time’s up, Trowa. You don’t have to hang around. We can go over to your house when I get done with this.”
Not ready to leave, Trowa offered a smile to the other man through the engine, much as Zechs had before, intrigued to realize he could see Duo’s eyes clearly through the gaps in the motor. “I’d like to stay, if you don’t mind. This is the most excitement I’ve had in months.”
“Not that exciting after you’ve done about six thousand oil changes and lube jobs, I’m afraid,” remarked Duo as he drained used oil into a pan. “Saturdays are usually easy jobs. Hard stuff comes in during the week. I hoped I wasn’t making too much noise. The Mann’s didn’t mind, the couple that sold the house to you, but the owner before that was pissed when I opened this place.”
“I usually leave for work around eight and don’t get home until after six. To be honest, I didn’t know there was a shop here until Heero pointed it out to me,” he handed Duo the new oil filter without having to be asked, then began to open the quarts of fresh oil, well used to the routine by now. “He was the one that suggested I ask about a trade.”
Sliding out from under the car, Duo frowned, “Heero? Heero Yuy?”
“How did you know that?”
“Relena; tell your friend to run if he knows what’s good for him. Relena’s already making wedding plans.”
“How do you know Relena?”
“She’s Zechs’ step-sister. They can’t stand each other.” Climbing out from under the car, Duo started pouring the oil in, “She’s also good friends with Hilde. Can you tell Zechs’ we’re done? I’ll get some tools together and we’ll take a look at your car.”
“Duo, it’s pouring rain out there.”
Obviously surprised by the news, Duo blinked, “Bloody hell, I forgot. We can get some lunch and see if it stops.”
“I think I’d like that.” Trowa was smiling as he went back to the waiting area. Opening the door, he was nearly mowed down by Hilde, the last waiting customer. On instinct, he grabbed her arm to stop her progress. “Employees only.”
“I don’t have to listen to you. You’re nobody.”
The venom in her tone surprised him. “I don’t know what your problem is, but you aren’t supposed to be in there,” he surprised himself by saying, ignoring the voice in his head that told him he wasn’t an employee either.
“My problem is that you’re just like him,” she pointed an accusing finger at Zechs, who was smiling as he watched the exchange. “You’re nothing but a disgusting pervert and I won’t have you encouraging my Duo to act like you.”
“I am not yours,” Duo suddenly stated from behind Trowa, voice cold. “I don’t appreciate you insulting my friends. I already pulled your car out, so pay your bill and leave. Find a new mechanic. I’m done working on your imaginary problems when there are real clients that need their cars fixed. I could have scheduled four other appointments today, but you promised you would act like a rational person if I looked at your car. There’s nothing wrong with it, as I’m sure you already knew, but I changed the oil in it for you anyway.”
Looking over his shoulder, Trowa was stunned by the dead appearance of Duo’s eyes as they bored into the woman, although Zechs didn’t seem surprised at all. “Thirty-five dollars, Hilde. You heard the man. Pay up and get out,” the blonde stated with a smug smile.
For a long moment the black-haired woman stared at Duo with wide eyes, bottom lip trembling. When Duo didn’t retract the statement, she narrowed her eyes, the hurt clearly an act. “You just wait. One day you’ll realize you want me and by then I might have someone better.”
“Good luck with that.”
Since her threat had no effect, she jammed a hand in her purse and pulled out some bills, flinging them at Zechs before stomping out into the downpour. Zechs calmly picked the money up and flashed a grin at Trowa. “Just think, if you had come over later, you would have missed all the fun.”
“What did she mean, I’m like you?”
The blonde’s smile widened, “Devilishly handsome, charming, eloquent…gay?”
Eyes wide, Trowa blurted without thinking, “How did you know that?”
“Zechs has gaydar.” Duo shrugged when Trowa turned to stare at him, “You didn’t punch him when he was flirting with you or run screaming in the other direction…things a straight man would have done.”
“Hilde’s not a homophobe. She simply hates anyone that gets between her and Duo,” explained Zechs.
“Air is enough to get between us. I can’t stand her.” Duo gave Trowa a raised eyebrow, “How about lunch?”
“I was wondering if you were going to work in the rain,” commented Zechs as he locked the glass door. Trowa was fascinated when a metal gate lowered over it, preventing anyone from getting into the office. “Sometimes Duo is strangely disconnected to the rest of the world.”
“I am not. I just like cars better than most people. This way, Trowa.” Duo led him back into the garage, flipping off lights as they went. “There’s a hallway that connects to the house; keeps us warm and dry when it’s raining or cold outside.”
“The design of this house is…unique,” Trowa commented, trying not to notice how small Duo’s waist was and refusing to dwell on how well his hands would fit around it.
“It used to be a whorehouse.”
Trowa tripped at Zechs’ cheerful announcement, breaking into his thoughts. “A what?”
“Whorehouse,” the blonde nodded when Trowa glanced back at him over his shoulder. “Clients would come into the main house to speak to the madam, and then come back here to choose who was going to…service him, through the window. After his choice was made, they would go back to the house and into one of the rooms. Brilliant design, really. The hallway can be closed off, so cops could never figure how to get to the girls although they knew they were there.”
“Ignore him,” Duo suggested with a roll of his eyes. “Zechs is fascinated with the house’s history. It does explain the odd design. There are also hidden entrances and tunnels to some of the rooms so the girls or clients could escape if there was ever an in-depth search of the property. I’ve been trying to make a map of them for months, but it takes more time than I have right now.”
Releasing a lock on a door at the end of the hall, Duo opened it and ushered Trowa inside what Trowa termed as a mud room, somewhere to clean up before entering the actual house. Crossing to an over-sized sink, Duo indicated the container of liquid soap that hung on the wall. “This is the best stuff to get your hands clean.”
“Gojo?” Trowa read the label with a frown, watching as the orange soap proceeded to get the grease off the other man’s hands, aided by vigorous scrubbing.
“For a mechanic, Duo is obsessed with keeping clean. It’s quite strange, honestly.”
Stepping away from the sink, Duo stuck his tongue out at the blonde while drying his hands. “Take your shoes off, Trowa. There’s new carpet in the house and I’m trying to keep it looking nice.”
Zechs had already removed his shoes and disappeared into what Trowa assumed was the house itself, leaving him alone with Duo. After washing his own hands, amazed how well the soap worked, he turned around and stared. Duo was working the coveralls down his legs, revealing a body covered in a pair of shorts and a tank top, letting Trowa see the well-muscled arms and legs, as well as noting how slender the other man was, almost waifish.
When Duo turned to hang the coveralls up, Trowa had no way to stop the gasp that fell from his mouth. Looking over his shoulder, Duo lifted an eyebrow in a silent question. “You have hair,” Trowa said, mentally slapping himself for such a lame comment.
“I did this morning when I braided it.”
“You have lots of hair. It’s longer than Zechs’.”
Laughing as he walked into the house, Duo shook his head, the braid writhing like a snake in response to the movement. “It’s a lot longer than Zechs’.”
“I think I’m insulted,” the blonde was standing in the open fridge. “If we’re going to compare, I insist on being present.”
Trowa gaped as Duo hissed, “Hair, you perv. We were talking about hair.” Duo’s smile grew wicked, giving Trowa a wink before drawling, “I still have you beat in other areas, too.”
“I say that contest wasn’t fair. The air was cold.”
“Don’t worry, Trowa. He’s just teasing,” Duo assured as the bumped the blonde out of the way with a well-placed hip. “And I won, fair and square.”
“We’ll have a rematch one day, with an impartial judge.” Zechs sat down at the table, waving a hand for Trowa to sit. “His hair is longer than mine, sadly. I can’t get mine to grow any longer, no matter what I do. Duo does nothing and has the most beautiful hair you’d ever see on a man…or a woman.”
More nervous inside the house than he had been in the garage and far more aware of what Duo looked like, Trowa was silent as he listened to the banter between the two, wondering what their relationship was. The comments and insults they traded could be taken in a number of ways, so he had no idea what to think.
“What big plans did you have for today, Trowa?” Zechs was watching him closely, chin propped up on one hand.
“I don’t have any real plans. Maybe finish unpacking?”
“That has to be the worst. All those boxes and …stuff.”
“Like you would have any idea what moving is like,” snorted Duo as he sliced some cheese off a large block.
Seemingly insulted, Zechs sat up straight, “I moved in here, didn’t I?”
“Nope, you simply gravitated your stuff here as you got it back from various lovers.”
“They weren’t merely lovers. They were relationships.”
“They were conquests. You can’t have relationships with half a dozen people at once.”
“It’s possible, it just takes more effort. Don’t you agree, Trowa?”
Realizing the two men were trying to make him feel like part of the conversation helped Trowa shake his head, “I agree with Duo. A relationship can only be with one person at a time.” Recalling his own past relationships, he frowned, “Those take enough effort and sometimes it’s still not enough.”
“Maybe I wasn’t with the right people, er…person,” Zechs batted his eyelashes. “So are you involved in a relationship or pursuing a conquest at the moment?”
A plate with several sandwiches was plunked onto the center of the table, “Bloody hell, Zechs. Can you be more obvious?”
“I’m a desperate gay man, darling. What do you expect?”
“Desperate, my ass.”
“I would love to have your - ”
“Don’t even go there.”
Trowa began to laugh at the two, shaking his head at their antics. With a pained expression, Duo gave Trowa a warning look, “Don’t let him fool you. He has more fish dangling from his err…line…than it’s possible to count. When he finishes with one, he tosses it back into the pool, heartbroken, and moves on to the next.”
Before Duo could walk away, Zechs grabbed his hand and stared up at him adoringly. “The only reason I keep going to others is because you won’t take me, or let me take you. For you, I would become a one man man.”
Pulling his arm away, Duo returned to the fridge. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m immune to your charm. That way you can continue to share yourself with the world. Trowa, do you want juice, water, or beer?”
“Beer’s fine,” he replied, distracted by the sad expression on Zechs’ face as the braided man pulled the requested beer from the fridge.
The abrupt realization the blonde’s words, though said mockingly, were serious made Trowa feel guilty for his attraction to the mechanic. Blue eyes met his as Zechs shook his head, teasing grin back in place as Duo brought three bottles of beer to the table. Duo sat and took a sandwich, freezing with it halfway to his mouth. “Bloody hell, Trowa, I didn’t think to ask if you wanted something different. Are these okay? There’s ham and colby cheese, turkey with mozzarella, and roast beef with provolone. If you don’t like any of these, I can make something else.”
“They look great,” Trowa replied honestly as he tried to forget the wistful expression on Zechs’ face. “I’m not picky.”
“What is it that you do, Trowa? What is your profession?”
“I’m a vet assistant at the animal clinic on Asheland Avenue. You probably don’t know it.”
“Catherine’s the vet, right?” Duo asked, surprising him. Seeing his face, Duo shrugged, “I had a cat for a long time. When it got old and sick, she put him down for me.”
The phone ringing cut off anything else Duo was going to say, but neither man moved to answer it. The reason why was very clear seconds later as a shrill voice boomed into the kitchen from another room. “Duo Maxwell, you better answer your phone, you cold-hearted son of a bitch. I know you’re home.”
“I better get that,” the man being cursed rose and stalked out of the room.
As soon as he was gone, Zechs’ hand touched Trowa’s for a second over the surface of the table, “It’s only Relena. He’ll be fine.”
Words flew from Trowa’s lips before he thought about what he was going to say. “You have feelings for him.”
“So does Hilde, but you don’t feel sorry for her.”
“That’s because she’s….”
“Crazy?” Zechs supplied with a smile. “Duo doesn’t know and that’s how I prefer it, Trowa.”
“Why? Would he be mad?” The idea of being in love with someone, living with them, and having no chance of more seemed too difficult to comprehend.
Zechs chuckled lightly, patting Trowa’s hand before retracting the touch. “I doubt he’d be mad. I don’t want him to know because he could never feel the same.”
“Because he’s straight?”
“I don’t know what he is. He isn’t repulsed by me, but he’s never returned any of my attempts of flirting with him and I’m an expert at it.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“It’s not so bad, so stop looking at me like I’m dying. He’s my best friend and he understands me better than anyone else. He’s always said I’ll eventually find one person that makes me want to settle down and I believe him, so I’ll wait for that one person and hone my flirting skills on everyone I can. Besides, living with someone that looks like Duo isn’t a hardship.”
“I can understand that,” Trowa commented absently, blushing when he realized what he said.
Duo walked back in the room just as Zechs said, “He is a hot number, isn’t he? Just look at the way the muscles in his legs flex as he walks.”
“Hush and go talk to your wacko sister,” Duo snorted as he took his seat, picking up his sandwich and biting into it. The look of mutiny on the blonde’s face had him ordering firmly, “Go talk to her. She said something about a charity thing you have to go to.”
“You know if I have to go, so do you,” Zechs pointed a finger at Duo as he left the room, laughing when Duo glared at him.
Trowa wanted to say something to Duo about the way Zechs felt to help the blonde, yet at the same time was reluctant. Zechs didn’t want Duo to know, he reasoned. It didn’t help that he was drawn to the long-haired man seated beside him, either.
The internal battle was forgotten as he recalled the beginning of the irate phone call, “You own the auto shop?”
“Yep, and the house,” Duo nodded easily. “When I was planning to buy a house, it was the first one that caught my eye. Don’t tell Zechs, but I was fascinated by the history, too.”
“I can’t even imagine how much this cost,” Trowa blurted, wondering if he was going to forever embarrass himself in front of this man.
“I had some extra money, so I bought it. It wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it.”
Something in Duo’s tone told Trowa to leave the subject alone. When he began to talk about some of the things he had experienced at the clinic where he worked, he saw the grateful sigh Duo gave. Zechs was back soon, face grim. “There is a charity ball at my parent’s house next weekend. I’m required to be there, for form’s sake. Mother has requested you be there as well, Duo. I tried to get us out of it, but she’s determined she has the perfect dates for us already planned.”
Trowa stared as Duo’s head hit the table with a thunk. “Duo?”
“Trowa, if you kill me, I’ll fix your car for free for the rest of your life.”
“You’ll be dead.”
Duo’s head rolled so he could look at Trowa. “Damn, you’re right. What are we gonna do?”
“You could say you already have dates,” suggested Trowa, swallowing hard when two pairs of eyes fixed on him. “That’s a terrible idea.”
“Actually, it’s brilliant,” Zechs exclaimed. “If we have dates, we can’t go with anyone else.”
“Okay, but we don’t have dates and I refuse to lie to your mother. She can be as mean as Relena when she gets mad,” Duo sat up, rubbing at the red mark on his forehead.
“You could call Wufei for me,” Zechs grinned wickedly.
“That could work, as long as you don’t get frisky. He’ll gut you if you do. What about me?”
The wicked grin didn’t fade as Zechs turned blue eyes to Trowa, who gulped audibly. “You can go with Trowa.”
Certain of an impending argument, Trowa opened his mouth to say he already had plans, closing it with a noticeable snap when Duo nodded, “I could handle that, as long as you don’t have something else to do.”
“I’m free all next weekend,” he said without having any idea if he was or not. If he had something else to do, he would find a way to get out of whatever it was.
“Perfect. Now Duo can call Wufei and convince him I’m not the lowest form of life on the planet.” Zechs seemed to consider the matter settled. “Mommy dearest also said it’s supposed to rain all day today, but tomorrow should be sunny. After Duo makes his phone call, we should pick out a movie to watch.”
“I need to go home if I’m going to a charity…thing next weekend. I don’t have a suit or anything.”
“Never fear. I’ll take you shopping tomorrow while Duo works on your car. Does that sound okay?” Zechs asked with a broad grin.
Wondering why Duo was shaking his head frantically, Trowa shrugged, “I guess that’s okay.”
“Wonderful! What time do you get up?”
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